Double Edge

This raw-nerved chronicle from ex-New York City detective Leuci ( Odessa Beach ; Captain Butterfly ) bares the ugly realities of an urban cop's daily life in the '90s. For aging Washington, D.C., homicide detective Scott Ancelet, the discovery of a 13-year-old black boy's nude body is the final outrage. Scott declares war on child killers and enlists his black partner, Morris (Big Mo) Parks, and his commanding officer into the cause. The case becomes complicated. Wealthy D.C. councilwoman Tamron Hightower identifies the victim as her nephew and pushes for results. Information from a crack-dealing snitch sucks Scott and Mo deep into the war zone of D.C.'s back streets, but no closer to the killer. A request for help from Scott's FBI buddy Joe Anderson roils dark diplomatic waters. Scott gets a slap on the wrist but gains secret allies in his fight to exact vengeance. Leuci's gritty tale clearly shows why cops grow cynical in the face of unchecked street crime and political interference. It is profoundly disturbing, however, to see the author consistently identify child molestation as a homosexual practice when the majority of these abusers are in fact heterosexuals. (Dec.)